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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · bass · mug · bound · bay · firm · content · stick

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. firm — a company
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mug — a face
  11. content — the amount
  12. bound — certain
  13. bass — low music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. content — happy
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bound — tied together
  24. firm — steady

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com